A New Darkness: Starblade Chronicles, Book 1

Something is terrorizing the villages of the county. People are dying - covered in blood, their faces frozen in fear. But with not a wound on their bodies. Battling creatures of the dark is the job of the local spook, but 17-year-old Thomas Ward never finished his apprenticeship. It will be no easy task to earn the trust of the villagers and to defeat a monster that no one has ever seen. Yet Jenny - a seventh daughter of a seventh daughter - knows an awful lot about this new evil. And she's willing to share what she's learned with Tom…if he takes her on as his apprentice.

The Dark Army

Tom Ward is now spook of the county, and with his apprentice, Jenny, he continues the fight against boggarts, witches, and terrifying new creatures of the dark. Together with the witch assassin Grimalkin, Tom and Jenny lead an army into battle against a dangerous enemy - but it all goes catastrophically wrong. The situation seems hopeless until Alice - Tom's lost love and a powerful witch - appears. But Alice had turned to the dark: Can Tom trust her now?

Arena 13: The Prey

Following the first year of his apprenticeship as an Arena 13 combatant, Leif seeks information from his late father's people. There he learns more about the man, who was the greatest arena fighter ever seen. The man who came so close to destroying the demon Hob but paid a terrible price for every victory. Leif returns to the fighting floor with a renewed hunger for revenge. But can he remain focused on his training as his passion for his master's daughter, Kwin, grows?

The Battle of Hackham Heath: Ranger's Apprentice: The Early Years

When the former Baron Morgarath escaped to avoid punishment for treason, an uneasy peace fell on Araluen. But Morgarath, now in hiding, is already planning his next move, recruiting an army of savage, overpowering beasts known as Wargals. Newly crowned King Duncan knows he must assemble his troops for battle.

The Secret of the Dark Forest: Way of the Shaman Series, Book 3

The virtual world of Barliona is a place of rest and entertainment - but not for everyone. It has become a survival arena for Daniel Mahan after he was sentenced to eight years in its virtual jail. Mahan has been through it all: the back-breaking work in the mines, betrayal by other prisoners, and finally, the retrial which has released him into Barliona's common world. What more could one want? Mahan could have kept a low profile and enjoyed relative freedom while serving the rest of his time.

The Land: Founding: Chaos Seeds, Book 1

Getting eaten alive is the worst! Stabbings, maimings, and corrosive black magic are not that great either, but you really don't want to be a wolf treat! That is the kind of hands on, "teeth on", education you get when you are summoned to the Land.

Darkcozbo says:"A Story as a game playing a game, while being real life!!!"

Rune of the Apprentice

In a world where magic, technology, and nature have merged, the few who can control Runes hold dominance over all of creation. All believe that Aleksi, a 16-year-old orphan, was blessed to be born with a Rune embedded in his palm, but that's only because they don't know the truth - Aleksi's Rune is so powerful it's killing him.

Otherlife Awakenings: The Selfless Hero Trilogy

Runner and his team managed to bring peace to Tirtius, successfully log the crew out, and have begun settling in to make a home on the isle of Vix. Fate isn't going to let them go that easily though. She clearly hasn't decided on what to do with him. Plots are in motion. Threats local, divine, and abroad scheme to exterminate Runner and the threat he represents. The possibility of what he could become.

The Tournament at Gorlan: Ranger's Apprentice: Early Years, Book 1

When Halt and Crowley discover that the ambitious Morgarath has been infiltrating the Rangers in order to corrupt the Corps, the young Rangers travel north to find Prince Duncan, seeking a royal warrant to stop Morgarath before it is too late. By weakening the Rangers, the most powerful force in support of the King, Morgarath plans to steal the throne.

Project Daily Grind: Mirror World Series, Book 1

The ads enthused, "The virtual lands of Mirror World await you! Live out your most secret dreams in our world of Sword and Sorcery! Become a Great Wizard or a Famous Warrior! Build your own castle, tame a dragon, conquer a kingdom! All those desperate, lonely, and insecure - Mirror World offers you a chance!" But Oleg isn't meant to become a great wizard or a famous warrior. He'll never have a castle of his own. Nor will he ever tame a dragon. And he's definitely not the type to conquer a kingdom, however virtual it may be.

The Hammer of Thor: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Book 2

Thor's hammer is missing...again. The thunder god has a disturbing habit of misplacing his weapon - the mightiest force in the Nine Worlds. But this time the hammer isn't just lost; it has fallen into enemy hands. If Magnus Chase and his friends can't retrieve the hammer quickly, the mortal worlds will be defenseless against an onslaught of giants. Ragnarok will begin. The Nine Worlds will burn. Unfortunately the only person who can broker a deal for the hammer's return is the gods' worst enemy, Loki - and the price he wants is very high.

The Citadel: Mirror World Series, Book 2

Performing deeds of online valor is the last thing on Oleg's mind, though. Neither does he care about any ancient lore. He's never trusted adventure, anyway. Mirror World is no place for the likes of him. Still, he's here to stay - at the demand of Reflex Bank, which has granted him a loan for his daughter's hospital treatment. Which is the only reason he's joined the ranks of the defenders of the Maragar Citadel.

Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare: The Saga of Darren Shan, Book 1

Darren Shan and his best friend, Steve, get tickets to the Cirque du Freak, a wonderfully gothic freak show featuring weird, frightening half human/half animals who interact terrifyingly with the audience. In the midst of the excitement, true terror raises its head when Steve recognizes that one of the performers - Mr. Crepsley - is a vampire! Steve confronts the vampire after the show finishes - but his motives are surprising!

Otherlife Nightmares: The Selfless Hero Trilogy

Runner and company have safely left the city ahead of the siege. Completing their class promotions with barely any time to spare. Unfortunately Runner hasn't discovered the password he needs to begin the logoff process to save the 400,000 or so crewmates left alive in this game where dying truly means death.

The Bronze Key: The Magisterium, Book 3

Students at the Magisterium are supposed to be safe. Under the watchful eyes of the mages, they are taught to use magic to bring order to a chaotic world. But now the chaos is fighting back. Call, Tamara, and Aaron should be worrying about things like pop quizzes and magic contests. Instead, after the shocking death of one of their classmates, they must track down a sinister killer...and risk their own lives in the process.

The Sorcerer of the North: Ranger's Apprentice, Book 6

Years have passed since Will led his people to victory in The Battle for Skandia, and now he oversees a peaceful fief in the south. Will's quiet days come to a sudden end, however, when troubling news arrives from the north. The king has been poisoned, and Will's abilities are desperately needed to track down the culprit - who's rumored to be an evil wizard.

Grimoire of the Lamb: An Iron Druid Chronicles Novella

When he’s not vanquishing villainous gods or dodging demons, 2,000-year-old Druid Atticus O’Sullivan can be found behind the counter of Third Eye Books and Herbs in modern-day Tempe, Arizona, literally minding his own business. But when an evil sorcerer - and amateur shoplifter - snatches an ancient Egyptian tome of black magic, The Grimoire of the Lamb, Atticus is not sheepish about pursuing him to the ends of the earth...or at least to the Land of the Pharaohs.

The Creeping Shadow: Lockwood & Co., Book 4

After leaving Lockwood & Co. at the end of The Hollow Boy, Lucy is a freelance operative hiring herself out to agencies that value her ever-improving skills. One day she is pleasantly surprised by a visit from Lockwood, who tells her he needs a good Listener for a tough assignment. Penelope Fittes, the leader of the giant Fittes Agency, wants them - and only them - to locate and remove the Source for the legendary Brixton Cannibal.

Publisher's Summary

Warning: Not to be listened to after dark.

For years, Old Gregory has been the Spook for the county, ridding the local villages of evil. Now his time is coming to an end. But who will take over for him? Twenty-nine apprentices have tried: some floundered, some fled, some failed to stay alive.

Only Thomas Ward is left. He's the last hope; the last apprentice. Can Thomas succeed? Will he learn the difference between a benign witch and a malevolent one? Does the Spook's warning against girls with pointy shoes include Alice? And what will happen if Thomas accidentally frees Mother Malkin, the most evil witch in the county?

This book is the first of the The Wardstone Chronicles, The Spook's Last Apprentice. The series intended for children 12 and up. However, adults may enjoy the series too. It is good book to curl up to, but a word of the wise...its scary. The narrator has great voice,tone, and clarity. The narrator and author whirl you through the life of 17th century Spook's Apprentice, as he rids the county of ghost, boggarts, and witches. The battle wages on "good versus evil." Great Book!!!!

I have to enter reviews on some of the books I've enjoyed from Audiobooks because I have found that browsing the reviews can really save me from a bad experience. This book was excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed it. And you should know that it is actually a young adult book.

The author doesn't waste time trying to build his own fantasy world for this series. The stories take place in 'the county' on what we must presume to be our world, but there is no definite sense of any particular time in history or even place. This series is all about the characters and their interactions.

The actor reading the book is great; his character voices are terrific and you can identify which character is speaking just by his voice.
I wish the book itself were as enthralling. The plot turns are obvious and you can see them coming a mile away. The style is an odd mix of British and American. In the midst of dialogue that sounds almost Dickensian, a character might exclaim "Fat chance!" This odd juxtaposition of styles took me right out of the narrative.

This one didn't work for me. I guess I'm much older than the age group it's intended for but the characters just didn't interest me the way I wanted them to. Delaney creates a lot of atmosphere around his world and some interesting ideas about witches but the characters feel too thin. When the story was over, I couldn't see myself trying the next book. I just didn't care enough about them to see what happens next. Maybe a kid would be more enthralled than I was. Maybe there are just too many books out there with a timid boy protagonist, a strict disciplinarian mentor, and a feisty girl foil for the boy who may be a friend or an enemy. I was looking for another layer and never found it.

Narration was fine. Welch creates an olde-time feel with his narration that suits the atmosphere quite well.

I saw this book and thought I would give it a try and never for one minute during the reading did I regret it. It kept me wanting more all the way to the end, and I still want more. It fit in well with the Halloween season!

I liked the main character Tom who must learn to fight witches, ghosts, and other things that go bump in the night. He has integrity, and even when he is afraid he chooses to do the right thing to help others. The narrator did a good job of making each character come to life.